The Goodness and Severity of God

D. A. Carson gives this short, balanced recital of the gospel of salvation including the important themes of 'the goodness and severity of God' (Rom 11.22).

There is one God who has made us. He is the Sovereign of all and is our final judge. He finds our rebellion against Him entirely unacceptable. He stands over against us in judgement. We ought to fear Him.

But mercifully He is also a God of love who is prepared to reconcile us to Himself by sending His only Son to bear our sins in His body on the cross.

First, consider the . . . severity of God

Romans 11.22 comes from the important section of Romans 9-11 which deals with the vexing issue of why it is that Israel as a nation has not received Jesus as its Messiah. 

Paul expounds this theme at some length. He also presses home the implications of what he's been saying on the Roman Gentiles to whom he writes. He insists that if God didn't spare the Israelites because of their unbelief then neither will He spare them (Rom 11.21).

As we know, our present age is scandalised generally by the thought of a God Who judges mankind. It wants only a god of indulgent 'love' because then it can escape all thought of accountability for sin.

The truth is mankind doesn't act like this itself in the face of injustice, abuse, and extreme acts of wrongdoing. If an horrendous murder and rape occurs, 'society' demands appropriate retribution; it requires judgement be meted out judicially and woe betide anyone who asks for mercy.

If it can discern injustice so keenly at times, does it suppose that God is any less able to judge not only actions but also the hearts of those made in His image? (Rom 2.1-3).

According to the Scriptures, God judged the world by a giant flood; He judged apostate angels (Jude 6), destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah for their evil perverse ways (Jude 7), punished Egypt for refusing to let Israel go (Jude 5) and afterwards the same God judged and punished Israel for their disobedience (Amos 3.1-6; Isa 45.5-7).

Not long after the inception of the early church at Pentecost (Acts 2.1-39) God the Holy Spirit judged Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5.1-11) with death causing fear to come upon both 'the church and all who heard about these things' (Acts 5.11).

Second, consider the goodness . . . of God

The context of God's goodness in this passage is that Gentiles by confession and belief from the heart that God has raised Jesus from the dead receive salvation (Rom 10.9).  They are saved from the penalty of sin which is the fierce displeasure of God, His severity.

Although we were once those who were 'without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenant of promise, having no hope and without God in the world' (Eph 2.12) we are 'now in Christ Jesus' (Eph 2.13a). Once 'far off' from God Himself and the people of God, they are made 'near by the blood of Christ' (Eph 2.13b).

That being so, we are also the ones who should be mindful of severity of God (1 Cor 10.1-13) as well as his loving-kindness (Ps 103.1-18).

Explaining The Gospel In Five Minutes?

Dr D A Carson, a noted New Testament scholar, is asked: 

'How would you explain the gospel in five minutes to someone who has no understanding of God, Jesus or sin?'

Carson clearly recognises that for many people in present, Western society the terms of the Christian gospel as used 30 years ago are no longer familiar. People typically don't know the Bible has two Testaments, the Old and the New. That the Old is primarily about the Messiah's people, Israel; the New Testament is about the Messiah and his New people, the Church made up of Jew and Gentile.


Words like God, creation, sin, judgement, sacrifices, prophecy, leading up to Jesus's death and resurrection, the coming of the Holy Spirit and the founding of the Church are far from the thoughts of many today.

If people had the background they had 80 years ago gained through religious instruction in school and Sunday School the one could say something like this:

There is but one God who made us, who is sovereign over all and is our final judge. This God finds our rebellion against him entirely unacceptable and hence, stands over against us in judgement. Consequently we ought to fear him. But mercifully, he is also a God of love who is prepared to reconcile us to himself by sending his Son to bear our sins in his body on the cross and to rise from the dead.

But says Carson, most of these words are going to go over the top of people's heads. We cannot begin as Paul did in Antioch when he spoke in the synagogue to hearers who had the background of the Old Testament (Acts 13.16-41). 

We may have to take Paul's address at the Areopagus in Athens (Acts 17.16-34) as a better pattern for speaking to those without any Christian background says Carson. Paul starts with their altar to the UNKNOWN GOD and proclaims his nature and actions to his hearers. He is the creator who has made the world and everything in it. As he is Lord of heaven and earth he doesn't live in man-made temples as though he needs anything for he is the One who gives to all things, life, breath and all things.

He made men determining their 'times' and the 'places where they should live' (NIV). He did this so that men would seek him, reach out for him though he is not far from any of us. Paul then quotes from pagan writings to reinforce the point that we live in him (v. 28a) and are God's offspring (v. 28b).

Being God's offspring, says Paul, should make us aware that God is not man-made in an image of gold, silver or stone. Although God has overlooked this ignorance [among the Gentiles] he now commands all everywhere to repent. A day is appointed for judgement which will come through the appointed man authenticated by God's raising him from the dead.

I'm not suggesting that this outline should be followed word-for-word. What Paul shows us, I think, is the importance of adapting what we say to others' thought-world or world-view starting with what we appear to share in common. However, his message becomes confrontative in various ways and ends with the need for repentance in the face of God's coming judgement.    

What I think is good about Carson's short response above is his pastoral suggestion of inviting interested folk as well as new Christians to view DVDs similar to what he has produced where he goes through the Bible in 14 one-hour weeks. He uses simple headings for the sections of the Bible and covers it from Genesis to Revelation.

The series is entitled, The God Who Is There and it's available free so check it out.